Wild to host 2016 Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium

The Wild announced that the NHL Stadium Series game that they will host in 2016 versus the Chicago Blackhawks will be held at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

As per the Wild organization, the game will be held on Sunday, February 21st. Per Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Wild will also attempt to coincide Hockey Day Minnesota the week before with high school games taking place on the same ice sheet in the stadium. However, ice and facility lease agreements must be made with the University of Minnesota and the National Hockey League.

TCF Bank Stadium opened in 2009 as the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. The stadium holds 52,525 seats and is currently home to the NFL Minnesota Vikings temporarily while a new stadium is being built for them. This won't be the first outdoor ice game that the stadium has played host to. In 2013, the Golden Gophers Mens' and Womens' hockey teams hosted Ohio State University on the field. It has played host to other events like concerts that featured the Irish band U2, Imagine Dragons with Atmosphere, and will host country band Florida Georgia Line and pop sensation One Direction. In 2014, it was host to a number of Major League Baseball All-Star Weekend events away from Target Field when the Minnesota Twins hosted the Mid-Summer Classic.